Cast metal billets frequently contain surface imperfections, such as "chevron" cracks. Imperfections are particularly likely to occur when the billets are of square, rectangular, or other non-circular cross-sectional shape, and are bent so as to follow a curved path of travel reorienting them from a generally vertical orientation to a generally horizontal orientation as they are discharged from a casting machine. Such imperfections undesirably reduce the quality and value of the billets.